Method of producing photographic representations of structural designs.



. c. GLEMEN TS. 4 METHOD OI PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHIG REPRESENTATIONS OFSTRUCTURAL DESIGNS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1909.

Patented July 6, 1909.

WTHEEEEE 754M593, Zf

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 4

CHARLES oLEME Ts, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD or PRODUCING PHOTOGRAPHICIREPRESENTATIONS or STRUCTURAL DESIGNS.g

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed March 5, 1909. Serial No. 481,305.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, CHAR-LES CLEarEN'rs, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of-Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in- Methods ofProducing Photographic Representations of Structural Designs, of whichthe following is a specification. I

My invention consists in an improved method of produc'ing photographicrepresentations of structural designs, by the aid of which suchrepresentations may be made to present to theeye vividly the prominentfea-' tures of the structures, represented, in verisimilitude theretonot only in the form but also in contrasts of texture, finish or othersuperficial characteristics.

In Letters Patent of. the United States,

No. 910,990, granted to me January 26,

1909., there is shown and described a method of producing photographicrepresentations of structural designs, by the aid of which the mainobject of the invention herein described may be obtained, but which isnot so wellradapted to the production of photographic representationsinvolving elaborate details as is the method herein set forth.

My new and improved method is in one aspect an alternative or substitutefor that set forth in my said patent, while in another aspect it is animprovementthereon, as it furnishes facilities for representingelaboratlons and details of design not possessed by my said patentedmethod.

-- In submitting designs for ornamental structures, especiallywhere, asis. usually the case, the design submitted is vvery .much smaller thanthe structure is intended to be, it is diflicult and I believeimpossibleby means of the usual devices hereto-fore employed'to conveyto the average mind an adequate idea of the texture, grain or othersuperficial characteristics of the materials which are to enter into thefinished structure,

particularly in respect to salient portions ofa design. The individualpeculiarit es of 1118 materials are among the most efiective resourcesof the designer and while he by constant contact and experiencewith thematerials of his craft may be well able to picture to himself theresultant efi'ect of design when'wrought into its ultimate materials, itis unusual for the-person to Whom the design is submitted, and Whoseapproval or disap- "proval may be final, to stimulate his imagination tothe point of adequatiely visualizing what may be the most essen'ialelements in the design. It might be assumed by those unfamihar with thissub cc-tl that a photograph from an actual structure would convex betterthan any other vehicle an adequate idea of the structure itself; thishowever, is by no means true, as my own experience and that of othershas often demonstrated. The

photograph almost invariably shows the.

tecture, and it is also obviously impossible any meansheretofore usuallyemployed to reproducewith 'hdehty, inthe design of a structure whichexists only 111 contemplation,

those features of peculiar texture, grain etc which are peculiar to the;materials intended to be employed.

By my invention herein described them may be produced an unhmltedvariety of .compositcobjects for photographic reproduction which shallpresent to the eye of the observer the salient features selected by thedesigner, 111 their natural appearance; and

the natural appearance will he accontuated- .111 the design as a wholeby reason 01 the iact that, while the design will be drawn to a re- 1duced scale, those salient portions which the doslg er wishes toemphasize will have their natu all details exaggerated in relation tothe desi n'as a whole and thus stand promnui-ntly forth, conveying tothe person for whom the design is-made a vivid and therefore adequateidea of the appearance which the structure will-assume when completed.

While the method described in my said Patent No. 910,990 is adequate forthe reproduction of simple designs, the dilliculty of its applicationincreases with the elaboration-or complexity of designs, and,\\l11l0-H111I10l3l10(l herein described may be employed to producerepresentations of simple designs, its range of practical employment ismuch greater-than that of my said patented process.

In the drawings hereto annexed, wllu'chv I indicate the I hotogra )hitand t plate reproductions can be made by the usual illustrate myllcrcin describedinvention, there is shown a composite surface,representing a monument. In preparing this cpmposiic surface, or objectto be photo graphcd, I take for the background surface a plain sheet, A,preferably card board or bristol board. llayiiig previously made sheetsimprinted with photographic reprcscntations of actual material surfaces,hav ing yarious qualities, of light, color and texture, I employ thesefor the formation of the pictu rc or design applied to the background A.If the design is to beef a monument, as shown in the drawing, I take asheet, photographically representing and preferably in full size, thesurfaceof cut and axed granite, and cut out of this sheet, B, a piecehaving the contour of the design. Then I take another sheet, on whichphotographically represented, in full size, preferably, the surface ofthe same granite when polished, and cut from this pieces properly shapedtocomport with the design outlined by the sheet D. These pieces arerepresented at C, C and C the ornamentation and elaboration sug gestcdat C are easily produced. I secure, as by pasting, the sheet B in properposture on the backgrouml A, and then place the pieces (.7, C, C uponand secure them to the piece B, in the manner illustrated; Fine linesmay then bedrawn upon the piece B, to

'unctions of surfaces, and, if desired, an aspect of solidity may beproduced by shading portions of at B, B The outline 7), 1) of the designwill be in "most instances sufficiently contrasted 'with tile backgroundA.

Ilaviiig thus prepared composite object, from the photographicro'ccsscs.

\Vhilc I. have shown by way of illustration, a composite object forphotographic reproduction in which natural stone or a facsimile thereofis employed, the same idea may be carried out according to thisinvention by using natural woods, textile fabrics, ornamental papcr, inshort what you will; according to the nature of the structure hich thedesign as a whole re 'ncscnls. The fact that the n'atural object whichforms part of the composite presents 1ts peculiar features of surface tothe camera in full size exaggerates .those qualities which this materialwould eventually contribute to the structure represented and thusemphasizes to the eye of the observer the cll'ectwhich the material I,ot-

the applied pieces, as

such photographic representations being of tions of sercral actualsurfaces of such niatcrials as are to be used in the finished structurerepresented by the design, the details of such photographicrepresentation being of exaggerated proportions in relation lo the.dimensions of thodcsigri, and finally photo graphing the compositesurface so formed.

2. The method of producing photographic representations of structuraldesigns which consists in laying upon a background surface first a sheetprinted photographically with a representation of'the actual materialsurface which the main body of the designed structure is to present, thesaid final sheet being cut to an outline to represent the main outlineof the design, thereafter laying over said first sheet, and within themarginal limits of the design, other sheet material, photographicallyrepresenting an actual material surface in contrast to the first sheet,and cut to outlines in conformity with the design of the structure thephotographic details of said ,shcets being of exaggerated proportions inrelation to the dimensions of the design, and finally photographing thecomplete surface so formed.

3. The method of producing photographic representations of structuraldesigns which consists in supcrposing upon a background surface sheetspreviously prepared by having imprinted thereon photographicrepresentations of several actual surfaces of such materials as are tobe used in the finished structure represented by the design, the detailsof exaggerated proportions in relation to the dimensions of the design,shading selected portions of the-sheets thus superposed upon thebackground, to produce the semblance of solidity, and firm lyphotographing the coinposile surface thus formed. v

4. The method of reproducing photographic representations of structuraldesigns which consists in laying upon a background surface irst a sheetprinted photographically with a cprcscntation of the actual materialsurface which the main body of the designed structure is to present, thesaid lirst sheet being cut to an outline to represent the main outlineof the design, thereafter laying over said first sheet, and within themarginal limits of the design, other sheet material, photographicallyrepresenting an actual material surface in contrast with the firstsheet, and out to outlines in conformity with the design ,of thestructure, the photographic details of said sheets being of exaggeratedproportions in relation to the dimensions of the design, then shadingselected portions of the sheets thus superposed upon the backgroundsurl'.-ice, to produce the semblance of solidity, an cl finallyphotographing the composite surface thus formed. p

The method of producing photographic representations of structuraldcsrgns which lIO lli

consists in forming upon a background surface a representation of themain body of the structure which the design is to represent,approximating to the aotual'appearance of the surface of said main body,then super-' posing thereon, and within the limits of the outlinethereof, sheet material cut to represent component contrasting portionsof the design, said sheet material being imprinted with a photographicrepresentation of. actual surfaces of materials such as are to be usedin the finished structure represented by the design, the details of suchphotographic representations being of exaggerated proportions inrelation to the dimensions of the design, and finally photographing thecomposite surface thus formed.

Signed by me at Boston',- Massachnsettsthis first'day of March 1909.

CHARLES CLEMENTS.

i messes:

ROBERT CUSIIMAN, CHARLES D. Woo-DBERRY.

